


Listen to What's in your Heart

by AstriferousSprite



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Origin Story, Pre-Canon, my brave boy deserves better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:49:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9124432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstriferousSprite/pseuds/AstriferousSprite
Summary: Before he was a hero of the Rebellion, Bodhi Rook was just a cargo pilot.Or: how Bodhi defected.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 7 of Ktavnukkah, with the prompt _resistance_.  
> 

Bodhi’s father had always told him to be brave.

The first time Bodhi brought home scraped knees and bruised shins, his father had tended to him while reminding him not to act scared. “Those bullies want you to cower, my star. If you want them to go away, you have to learn to be brave.”

“But I’m not brave, Baba.” Bodhi had hugged his legs, looking down. “I’m too scared.”

“Sometimes,” he had said, gently laying a hand on his son’s shoulders, “the bravest people are also the ones who are the most afraid.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“It will when you’re older, my star.” He kissed Bodhi’s forehead. “Sleep well, Bodhi. I love you.”

The day the Empire came for his family, Bodhi still didn’t know what it meant to be brave.

 

They took everything from him. The house he had built with his father had been blown away to bits, leaving behind nothing but sand-colored rubble. His father himself had been shot at point-blank range for “sympathizing with Rebel causes.”

The Stormtroopers had little sympathy for the pathetic teenager bawling his eyes out; they had grabbed him by his jacket and thrown him onto the transport. “It would be a shame for Rook’s brat to end up like him,” they had said, looking at each other. “Heard he’s a good pilot.”

“What are you going to do to me?” he had whispered, hugging his knees like he did all those years ago, back when the Empire was nothing but a nightmare.

“You’re coming with us,” they had replied. “We need a pilot.”

And so, pilot he became, hauling long-distance cargo for them, whether building supplies, or even people. It was hard, grueling work, with high risk and little reward. The pay was terrible, and his coworkers were even worse—but what could he do? He had no family to turn to, no one to support him if he fell. He was alone.

He was afraid.

 

Bodhi first had his fears confirmed on Eadu.

He had been flying in shipments of Kyber crystals—from _Jedha_ , of all places—for the Empire’s mysterious weapons project. He’d been curious about the test, but he knew that good pilots followed orders and never questioned the Empire—he was just a cargo pilot, what did he need to know?

“Cargo shuttle SW-0614, prepare for inspection.” Bodhi hopped out of the cockpit, ready to fake bravery—inspection officers were nothing to fear, in his area of expertise.

He was _not_ ready for what actually greeted him as the door descended.

Lord Vader marched in, cape fluttering in the wind as he breathed heavily. “Your manifest, pilot.”

Bodhi was sweating. “Y-yeah, I suppose you’d like to see that, eh?” he stammered, grinning weakly. “Here, it’s, er…down in the cargo hold—”

Vader and his lackeys marched past him into the hold.

“…right,” he whispered.

Some tense minutes followed, before the inspection party rose back up, manifest in hand. “There are significantly fewer Kyber crystals in the hold of this ship than were declared, Rook.”

Bodhi wiped his brow. “Uhh, yeah, well, er, there was a skirmish on Jedha, and we lost a lot of our cargo—stolen, I mean, they stole it—I swear, I didn’t lose it on purpo—”

Suddenly, Bodhi found it hard to speak. Or, rather, to _breathe._

“I have no time for incompetent pilots, Rook,” said Vader, lifting his arm as Bodhi continued to choke. Panic flooded his body as he struggled to breathe. _Oh, Force, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die, I’m gonna—_

“Lord Vader!”

Out of the corner of his eye (barely, since his vision was beginning to tunnel), he saw a man in a scientist’s uniform walk up to the shuttle. “Release him, my Lord. Good pilots are hard to come by.”

“As you wish,” growled Vader, unclenching his hand. Immediately, Bodhi collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. “This inspection is over. Pilot, release your cargo.”

Once the inspection party had passed, the scientist walked up to Bodhi. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, thanks for that,” he gasped, as he massaged his throat. “Hey, um, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” asked the scientist.

“I-I mean, er, with the crystals? Why was Vader so…well…freaked out?”

The scientist sighed. “Guess I should explain.” He sat down next to Bodhi. “Just as long as you promise to help me.”

“ _Anything._ ”

He nodded. “Okay. First of all, what’s your name?”

Bodhi looked at him with awe. No one had ever asked him that in a long time. “Bodhi Rook. You?”

“Galen Erso.”

Bodhi awkwardly extended a hand. “Good to meet you, Galen.”

Galen shook it. “Good to meet you too, Bodhi. I’m sorry it has to be under these circumstances.”

“You’re gonna explain, right?” asked Bodhi, hugging his knees.

Galen sighed with a worried expression. “The Empire’s building a superweapon.” Bodhi nodded. “One with the power to destroy an entire planet.”

Bodhi paused. “An entire… _Force._ ”

Galen nodded. “They call it the Death Star.”

“Wait.” Bodhi furrowed his brows. “Are you…”

He smiled sorrowfully. “Yes, I was the man who designed it.”

Bodhi didn’t know what to say.

“But I’m plotting my revenge,” he continued, lowering his voice. “I need to get word out to the Rebellion that there’s a flaw in the battle station, and if someone were to exploit that weakness, they could destroy it.” He looked straight at Bodhi. “And I need someone to send that message.”

“But…” Bodhi looked down. “I don’t know if I can do it. I mean, I’m just a cargo pilot. I’m not a hero.”

“Bodhi.”

He looked back up to see Galen looking at him with a warm expression. “You can still make it right if you’re brave enough to listen to what’s in your heart.”

Bodhi nodded, trying not to cry.

“Good.” With that, he pulled a small pouch from his pocket and handed it to Bodhi. “I need this message delivered to Saw Gerrera. You should be able to find someone with connections to him on Jedha.”

“Jedha,” Bodhi repeated.

“Yes, Jedha. If you’re flying this cargo ship, the Empire shouldn’t suspect too much. Keep the message well-hidden until then, and may the Force be with you.”

Bodhi nodded, tucking the message into his boot. “And with you as well.”

Galen smiled as he departed the ship. “Good luck, Bodhi.”

“Alright.” Bodhi rose back to the cockpit, beginning to make the calculations to release the cargo deck and jump to hyperspace. Even through his fears, he could find it in himself to be brave for once.

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, I need Bodhi's origin story STAT.  
> Until then, [here's my Tumblr,](http://lesbiangffa.tumblr.com) and Chag Sameach!


End file.
